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Super Bowl thrills for the super cheap

Tickets to Sunday's Super Bowl cost about $1,000 each. And the expensive tickets do not stop with the game: A few parties and events cost even more. But don't worry, there are many Super Bowl-related things to do in Tampa that cost $50 or less.

Published: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at 3:49 p.m.

TAMPA - Even though the economy is in the tank, major sponsors are scaling back and fewer people can afford to visit Tampa this year, the Super Bowl will set you back a pretty penny.

Facts

BLOGGING THE BOWL

Reporter Anthony Cormier is in Tampa this week, chasing down information and posting the bulk of what he finds on a blog in a special Super Bowl section at heraldtribune.com.

If you read it Monday, you would know:

1. What grammatical error in the Welcome to Downtown Tampa signs was cleaned up in time for the big week.

2. What hotels the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers are staying in.

3. The latest on whether Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward’s sprained knee ligament will keep him out of the game.

Or you can cheat, and look below for the answers.

Answers: 1. The signs said, “There’s so many reasons to love it,” and were incorrect because the verb “is” is singular and “reasons” is plural. 2. Steelers: The Intercontinental. Cardinals: The Grand Hyatt. 3. Ward vowed to play at Monday’s news conference.

And we are not even talking tickets (which, for the record, can be had for about $1,000 right now).

The pre-game slate of events, parties, banquets, golf tournaments and general hobnobbing is not any cheaper than getting into the big game.

Want to eat breakfast with a Hall of Famer? You will need about $12,000.

But with the recession in mind, we set out to find a few good deals -- think less than $50 -- around Tampa Bay this week and came up with an eclectic list of things to do on the cheap.

Here is a recession-busting guide to getting your money's worth at the Super Bowl.

Actually free, and very cool

The best part of the Super Bowl is not the big game. It is the celebrities. And even though the economy is putting a damper on the party scene, it is still the Super Bowl. So celebs will surely follow — which means you can people-watch for free. If you want to catch one of the players, try their hotels in downtown Tampa: Intercontinental (Steelers), Grand Hyatt (Cardinals). The best part? To catch a glimpse of stars or rappers, start with the club scene on Thursday night. Try Ybor City at 10 p.m. Bring a camera.

Free, not easy

No Super Bowl would be complete without the Bud Bowl, that clash of titans between bottles of suds.

This year, Bud Bowl sponsor Anheuser-Busch has teamed up with rapper Snoop Dogg for a pre-game concert. And anytime Snoop Dogg shows up, you know it’s a party. The rapper and rock outfit 3 Doors Down perform for free at Channelside, but there is a trick. The tickets are free, but organizers are giving them away at local bars or through radio stations. The best part? You get to go to bars looking for free tickets. Info: anheuser-busch.com.

Pictures, please

One of the cheapest events is also one that touches on the pageantry of the Super Bowl and the violence of the game. The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts is hosting a gallery of historic shots from the big game, as seen by Getty Images photographers. The best part? Tickets are $4. Info: fmopa.org.

Pick a sport

The one thing NFL players love to do during Super Bowl week is show off how good they are at sports other than football.

That is why you can play pool in a tournament featuring Colts defender Dwight Freeney ($50). Or watch Marcus Allen and Lawrence Taylor playing golf and poker (free), or Bucs linebacker Cato June shooting hoops ($20). The best part? At Cato June’s Superslam, there will be a ton of celebrities — from footballers to TV stars — and you have a chance to win a new Volkswagen. Info: myspace.com/celebrity_superslam.

Music to your ears

Pick a musical genre and you will probably find it at one of a dozen concerts over the next few days. Check out Enrique Iglesias ($20), American Idol winner Jordin Sparks ($35) or just go over to the Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash with Rihanna, Fall Out Boy and Lifehouse ($20-$45). The best part? The Pepsi concert will be broadcast on VH1, so you might get it on TV. For more information, visit tampabaysuperbowl.com.

<p><em>TAMPA</em> - Even though the economy is in the tank, major sponsors are scaling back and fewer people can afford to visit Tampa this year, the Super Bowl will set you back a pretty penny.</p><p>And we are not even talking tickets (which, for the record, can be had for about $1,000 right now).</p><p>The pre-game slate of events, parties, banquets, golf tournaments and general hobnobbing is not any cheaper than getting into the big game.</p><p>Want to eat breakfast with a Hall of Famer? You will need about $12,000.</p><p>Interested in playing golf with former Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback and Super Bowl winner Doug Williams? Try $1,500.</p><p>But with the recession in mind, we set out to find a few good deals -- think less than $50 -- around Tampa Bay this week and came up with an eclectic list of things to do on the cheap.</p><p>Here is a recession-busting guide to getting your money's worth at the Super Bowl.</p><p><b>Actually free, and very cool</b></p><p>The best part of the Super Bowl is not the big game. It is the celebrities. And even though the economy is putting a damper on the party scene, it is still the Super Bowl. So celebs will surely follow  which means you can people-watch for free. If you want to catch one of the players, try their hotels in downtown Tampa: Intercontinental (Steelers), Grand Hyatt (Cardinals). The best part? To catch a glimpse of stars or rappers, start with the club scene on Thursday night. Try Ybor City at 10 p.m. Bring a camera.</p><p><b>Free, not easy</b></p><p>No Super Bowl would be complete without the Bud Bowl, that clash of titans between bottles of suds.</p><p>This year, Bud Bowl sponsor Anheuser-Busch has teamed up with rapper Snoop Dogg for a pre-game concert. And anytime Snoop Dogg shows up, you know it’s a party. The rapper and rock outfit 3 Doors Down perform for free at Channelside, but there is a trick. The tickets are free, but organizers are giving them away at local bars or through radio stations. The best part? You get to go to bars looking for free tickets. Info: anheuser-busch.com.</p><p><b>Pictures, please</b></p><p>One of the cheapest events is also one that touches on the pageantry of the Super Bowl and the violence of the game. The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts is hosting a gallery of historic shots from the big game, as seen by Getty Images photographers. The best part? Tickets are $4. Info: fmopa.org.</p><p><b>Pick a sport</b></p><p>The one thing NFL players love to do during Super Bowl week is show off how good they are at sports other than football.</p><p>That is why you can play pool in a tournament featuring Colts defender Dwight Freeney ($50). Or watch Marcus Allen and Lawrence Taylor playing golf and poker (free), or Bucs linebacker Cato June shooting hoops ($20). The best part? At Cato June’s Superslam, there will be a ton of celebrities  from footballers to TV stars  and you have a chance to win a new Volkswagen. Info: myspace.com/celebrity_superslam.</p><p><b>Music to your ears</b></p><p>Pick a musical genre and you will probably find it at one of a dozen concerts over the next few days. Check out Enrique Iglesias ($20), American Idol winner Jordin Sparks ($35) or just go over to the Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash with Rihanna, Fall Out Boy and Lifehouse ($20-$45). The best part? The Pepsi concert will be broadcast on VH1, so you might get it on TV. For more information, visit tampabaysuperbowl.com.</p><p><empty></p><p><empty></p><p><empty></p>